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Academic advisors assist with proper course selection to meet curricular requirements and help to avoid errors in scheduling. However, students have the final responsibility for satisfying the degree requirements for the curriculum chosen and for the university general education requirements.
The South Dakota State University Policy and Procedure Manual is the definitive source for the most current South Dakota State University policies. Policies duplicated on other websites or in print may not be the most current version. All policies documented on the site are official and supersede policies located elsewhere. South Dakota State University is governed by state and federal law, administrative regulations, and policies of the South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR) and the State of South Dakota.
General Degree Requirements
(SDBOR Policy 2.6.1, SDBOR Policy 2.8.1; SDBOR Academic Affairs Guidelines 2.3.2.1.A(1))
- Completion of at least 120 semester credit hours for the baccalaureate degree and 60 semester credit hours for the associate degree. Remedial course credits are not counted as meeting degree requirements.
- A Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.00. The CGPA is based on all credits earned by the student, including transfer credit and Regental system credit. When a course has been repeated for credit, all attempts will be entered on the transcript, but the last grade earned will be used in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average.
- Completion of university general education requirements.
- Completion of all college and major field requirements.
Institutional Credit Requirements
Institutional credit is defined as credit earned through course(s) offered by SDSU at any of its approved sites using any approved method of delivery.
The minimum number of total credits that must be earned from the degree-granting institution shall be:
- Baccalaureate: 25% of the total required credits
- Associate: 25% of the total required credits
- Certificate: 50% of the total required credits
- Those certificates that are system certificates shall be exempt from this credit hour requirement. In addition, when the requirements set by a specialized accrediting agency exceed the requirements set forth in this policy, those of the specialized accrediting agency take precedence.
The number of last credits earned preceding completion of the degree that must be earned from the degree-granting institution shall be:
- Baccalaureate: 15 of the last 30 credit hours
- Associate: 8 of the last 15 credit hours
- The institution chief academic officer may make exceptions to this requirement in those cases where there are unique factors, such as participation in an approved study abroad program or in other similar authorized experiences.
The minimum number of credits specified in the major or minor requirements that must be completed from the degree-granting institution shall be fifty (50) percent. However, this requirement may be waived for students enrolled in common courses offered by one of the other Regental universities. In addition, the institution chief academic officer may make exceptions to this requirement for individuals based on the student’s prior learning experiences, or internal Regental system transfer courses that have been approved and equated to the degree granting institution. At no time can the exceptions exceed ten (10) percent of the requirements.
Additional requirements:
- Credits earned by examination are not counted as resident credit unless an exception has been made because of special program features.
- A bachelor’s degree seeking student must have twenty (20) upper division level credits, fourteen (14) of which need to be at SDSU.
Multiple Majors
Students pursuing multiple majors must meet the following requirements:
- The student must meet all admission requirements (e.g., minimum GPA) for each declared major.
- The requirements for all declared majors must be completed under the same academic catalog.
- The student must complete all general education and program requirements for each declared major.
- Students must meet all academic requirements (e.g., minimum grade requirements) for each declared major.
Course Overlap and Limitations:
- Students who declare more than one specialization within a major are classified as pursuing a single major with multiple specializations, but do not qualify as pursuing multiple majors.
- Course overlap is allowed between declared multiple majors. However, a minimum of twelve (12) credits required for the Major (not including general education, general elective, or other non-Major-specific credits) must be exclusive to each declared Major and may not have course overlap. If the published coursework for the Majors cannot be completed in a manner that allows for 12 distinct credits between them, they are not eligible to be pursued as Multiple Majors.
Application of coursework:
- General education and other curriculum requirements may be applied as general electives and/or a requirement for an additional major.
- Required courses from one Major may be applied as general electives, support courses, or general education requirements for the other declared Major(s).
- The requirement to have twelve (12) distinct credits does not apply to Secondary Education majors paired with the appropriate disciplinary major (e.g., Secondary Education in English with a BA in English major).
- Additional course overlap is allowed between declared multiple majors specific to the university and programs within the college/school.
Award of Degree:
- All awarded Majors will appear on the student’s transcript. One degree and one diploma are issued.
Second Major After Degree Completion:
- A student who earned a baccalaureate degree from a regental university may subsequently complete requirements for a second major attached to the original degree. This work, which represents an extension of the original degree, must be completed at the regental university which conferred the baccalaureate degree.
- The student must meet admission requirements and complete all academic requirements for the additional major.
- The general education curriculum is considered completed by the original degree.
- No degree is conferred; therefore, graduation honors do not apply, and no diploma is given.
Simultaneous Degrees
Simultaneous degrees are two or more degrees that are completed and awarded in the same semester and can be of either the same type or of different types.
Same Degree Type
(e.g., Bachelor of Science in Biology and Bachelor of Science in Health Studies)
- The student must meet all admission requirements (e.g. minimum GPA) for each declared program (degree and major).
- All requirements must be met for each declared degree.
- The requirements for all declared degrees must be completed under the same academic catalog.
- The student must complete all general education and program requirements for each declared degree.
- The student must meet all academic requirements (e.g., minimum grade requirements) for each declared degree.
- Course overlap is allowed; however, a minimum of twelve (12) degree-specific credits must be exclusive to each declared degree and may not have course overlap. Required courses from one degree may be applied as general electives (lower- or upper-division), general education, or support courses required for the other declared degree. Additional course overlap is allowed between degrees specific to the university and programs within the college/school.
Award of Degree:
- Students must file separate graduation applications for each degree.
- All degrees will appear on the student’s transcript and a separate diploma is issued for each.
Different Degree Types
(e.g., Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish).
- The student must meet all admission requirements (e.g., minimum GPA) for each declared program.
- All requirements must be met for each declared degree.
- The requirements for all declared degrees must be completed under the same academic catalog.
- The student must complete all general education and program requirements for each declared degree.
- The student must meet all academic requirements (e.g., minimum grade requirements) for each declared degree.
- Course overlap is allowed; however, a minimum of twelve (12) degree-specific credits must be exclusive to each declared degree and may not have course overlap. Required courses from one degree may be applied as general electives (lower- or upper-division), general education, or support courses required for the other declared degree. Additional course overlap is allowed between degrees specific to the university and programs within the college/school.
Award of Degree:
- Students must file separate graduation applications for each.
- All degrees will appear on the student’s transcript and a separate diploma is issues for each.
Additional Academic Opportunities
With prior approval by the Board of an authorizing inter-institutional agreement degree seeking students at one institution may complete requirements for and may have transcripted a major offered at the partner Regental institution. This major will be recorded on the student’s transcript in conjunction with a degree/major at the student’s home university. These majors from a second/host Regental institution will only be recorded on the transcript in conjunction with a degree and major at the student’s home institution.
Degree seeking students may complete requirements for a minor at any Regental university that has been approved to grant that minor. This minor will be recorded on the transcript in conjunction with a degree/major at that university or a degree/major at any other Regental university. A minor will only be recorded on the transcript in conjunction with a degree and major.
Awarding of Academic Degrees
(SDBOR Policy 2.6.2)
The Board approves the awarding of academic degrees after receiving the university president’s recommendation on behalf of the university. In recommending that the Board approve the award of a degree to an individual, the President certifies that the student has satisfied, or is expected to satisfy, the applicable degree requirements in Board Policy or in curricular requests approved by the Board.
- Board approval is contingent upon the student’s completion of all the degree requirements. A degree may be awarded only after the student has completed the degree requirements.
- Approval of institutional recommendations by the Board shall not be to waive any degree requirement for an individual student.
- Recommendations for awarding degrees shall be submitted to the Board through its Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer and shall appear on the agenda of a regularly scheduled Board meeting.
- Universities are authorized to hold commencement exercises prior to Board approval of institutional recommendations.
- The recommendations shall be submitted in a uniform format determined by the Board.
- Recommendations shall be submitted to the Board through its Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer according to the following schedule:
- Recommendations for May commencement exercises or graduation shall be provided to the Board at its regularly scheduled May meeting.
- Recommendations for August commencement exercises or graduation shall be provided to the Board at its regularly scheduled August meeting.
- Recommendations for December commencement exercises or graduation shall be provided to the Board at its regularly scheduled December meeting.
Graduation Dates
(SDBOR Policy 2.6.2)
- The official date of graduation for the term is the last date of the term. For the Fall and Spring terms, this date is the last date of final examinations. For the Summer term, it is the last date of the full summer term. This date of graduation will be recorded both on the academic transcript and on the diploma.
- Commencement ceremonies may be held prior to the official graduation date or after the official graduation date.
- A student’s official date of graduation shall be the official date of graduation for the term in which the student successfully completes all requirements.
- The final graduation verification date for each term will be two days prior to the Clearinghouse certification date.
- The institution’s Vice President for Academic Affairs may make an exception to the final graduation verification date for student teachers who complete their student teaching experience on a date after the verification deadline.
- The Medical School is exempted from the final graduation verification date.
- Other than the exceptions noted above for student teachers and the Medical School, a student’s date of graduation will not be backdated. If the student does not meet graduation requirements prior to the verification deadline, the student must apply for graduation in a future term.
Catalog of Graduation for Undergraduate Students
(SDBOR Policy 2.6.2)
- The catalog of graduation begins with the summer term and ends with the subsequent spring term.
- Every student is required to have a catalog of graduation. New and transfer students are assigned the catalog in effect at the time of their initial enrollment at the university from which they are seeking a degree. Students may elect a catalog of graduation that is later than their initial catalog but may not elect a catalog of graduation that is earlier than their initial catalog.
- In order to receive a degree, a student must meet the program requirements listed in his/her catalog of graduation.
- Students who discontinue enrollment at any Regental university for more than two consecutive semesters are assigned the catalog in effect at the time of their re-enrollment as their catalog of graduation.
- Students are considered to be in continuous enrollment for purposes of the catalog of graduation so long as any break in enrollment at any Regental university is for two or fewer consecutive semesters (excluding summer) and students maintain their degree seeking status at the same Regental university.
- Students who change their degree seeking status from one Regental university to another Regental university are assigned the catalog of graduation that corresponds to the term they are admitted to their new degree granting university.
- Students who are not currently enrolled and who petition to graduate based on coursework previously completed at a Regental university are assigned the catalog in effect during the term they wish to graduate.
Graduation Policies and Procedures
- Graduation Application - Date Due.
Check the university calendar or the fall, spring, and summer semester calendar for dates.
- Incomplete grades in courses required for graduation.
Graduating Seniors and Graduate Students
- Any graduating senior or graduating graduate student
- who receives an Incomplete or IP grade in the final semester in a course required for graduation will not be permitted to graduate that semester but will be required to apply for graduation for a subsequent semester,
or
- who has not removed an outstanding Incomplete from a previous semester, in a course required for graduation, by the date grades are due for the semester will not be permitted to graduate that semester but will be required to apply for graduation for a subsequent semester.
- Emergency situations require the filing of a petition by the student to the Dean for approval prior to the final grading deadline for the final semester.
- Incomplete grades in courses not required for graduation.
- The student’s record, up to the date of graduation, for that degree, is considered closed when the Registrar records the verified degree on the student’s record (3 weeks after grades are due for the final semester prior to graduation).
- After that date, removals of Incompletes for courses not required for the degree are no longer permitted. This policy also applies to grade changes or any other academic change to the student’s record.
- This policy has always been in effect but is reinforced in this policy statement.
- Graduation List.
Submission by the Deans of the final verified graduation list to the Registrar’s Office.
- Deadline for verification of degrees to the Registrar by the Deans will be three (3) weeks after grades are due for the semester.
- Prior to verification of the degree - all undergraduate transfer work in progress, or completed by the student, up to the date of graduation (whether required for graduation or not) must be evaluated by the Dean and recorded on the student’s academic transcript.
- It is the Dean’s responsibility to ensure all requirements are met prior to approving the student for degree completion.
Honors Designation at Graduation
(SDBOR Policy 2.8.1)
Associate Degree
The institution granting the degree determines the Honors Designation for its associate-level graduates. To earn an Honors Designation at graduation, an associate-level graduate must meet both the following cumulative and institutional grade point averages:
- With highest honor equal to or greater than 3.9
- With high honor equal to or greater than 3.7 and less than 3.9
- With honor equal to or greater than 3.5 and less than 3.7
An associate-level graduate must have completed a minimum of thirty (30) credit hours at the institution granting the degree. Courses that are part of a formal collaborative agreement among Regental universities are considered to be earned from the institution granting the degree. (Also refer to SDBOR Policy 2.3.7.)
Baccalaureate Degree
The institution granting the degree determines the Honors Designation for its graduates. To earn an Honors Designation at graduation the undergraduate student must meet both the following cumulative and institutional grade point averages:
- Summa Cum Laude equal to or greater than 3.9
- Magna Cum Laude equal to or greater than 3.7 and less than 3.9
- Cum Laude equal to or greater than 3.5 and less than 3.7
The undergraduate student must have completed a minimum of sixty (60) credit hours at the institution granting the degree. Courses that are part of a formal collaborative agreement among Regental universities are considered to be earned from the institution granting the degree. (Also refer to SDBOR Policy 2.3.7.)
Minimum Graduation Standards
(SDBOR Policy 2.8.1)
To be awarded a baccalaureate degree, an associate degree or a certificate a student must at a minimum have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. With Board approval, additional requirements including more specific GPA requirements may be established for some programmatic offerings and these must be met.
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